Those suffering from back problems, especially those getting on in age
should be especially aware of underlying, serious health conditions. Its important and potentially life saving to have yourself professionally
evaluated by a licensed chiropractor or other qualified health
professional when back pain arises. Proper evaluation is important not
only to receive proper treatment for your back problems, but also, to
rule out even more serious and sometimes life threatening conditions.
In a recently published case report, researchers discuss a patient who
presented to a doctor of chiropractics office presenting with the
primary symptom of back pain. Upon chiropractic examination and
radiographic studies, the patient was found to be suffering from the
symptoms of an aortic aneurysm  not your standard, musculoskeletal
cause of back pain. The patient was immediately referred for immediate
medical intervention. Cases like this, while uncommon, do occur.
Chiropractors are primary health care providers. This means when
life-threatening conditions are present, chiropractors are highly
skilled and trained at identifying these conditions and making the
appropriate referral, when necessary.

According to research published in a recent issue of Archives of Internal Medicine,
women who lead healthier lifestyles are 71 percent less likely to
suffer from the most common form of stroke, ischemic stroke. Ischemic
strokes result from the blockage of arteries that supply blood to the
brain and often lead to permanent disability as well as death. In
the study, researchers identified those healthy habits that reduce the
likelihood of suffering from ischemic stroke which include: abstinence
from smoking, alcohol consumption in moderation, regular exercise,
maintenance of a healthy bodyweight and consumption of a healthy,
nutritious diet. With approximately a quarter of the 700,000
strokes occurring each year resulting in death and another quarter
resulting in permanent disability, the importance of implementing these
and other healthy lifestyle habits is nothing less than the difference
between life and death.

Preliminary results from a small study
of 50 men indicate that pomegranate juice may slow the progression of
prostate cancer in men. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of
cancer death in men and occurs in one out of every ten US men with over
200,000 new cases diagnosed annually. When prostate cancer is
present, a protein referred to as PSA is released and found within the
bloodstream. The quicker the concentration of PSA increases in the
blood, the quicker the cancer is progressing. Within this study, mens
PSA doubling time was on average approximately 15 months before
drinking the juice. Once the men began drinking eight ounces of
pomegranate juice daily their PSA doubling times were extended to 54
months on average. While its too soon to jump to conclusions, with no
side effects noted, regular consumption of pomegranate juice might not
only be a delicious thirst quencher, but may additionally have some
very powerful health benefits in men.

Of
course, most all of us know that eating our vegetables is a healthy
thing to do. New research continues to accumulate supporting the
premise that we dont take this advice lightly. In a recent study on
mice, a diet plentiful on broccoli, carrots, green beans, corn and peas
resulted in significantly less artery narrowing than their little
counterparts who werent provided a diet containing vegetables. There
was also a reduction in cholesterol levels. Even though the study was
conducted on mice, researchers were excited that this
new study clearly showed a diet rich in vegetables had significant
cardiovascular benefits of which can very likely be extended to humans,
especially in preventing the formation and progression of
atherosclerosis, a condition marked by plaquing/thickening of the
artery walls that frequently leads to heart attack and stroke.